Our results showed that conventional wiring is the most advantageous closing method when compared to the others.

Published results of coda Q show a large variation in values. These variations are often claimed to be related to different tectonics, whereas they might just be related to using different assumptions in the processing, leading to different input parameters for the analysis. In this study, the effect of using different processing parameters is investigated and significant differences, particularly at low frequencies, are observed. We find a new set of optimal parameters, which we recommend using in future studies. Using a short lapse time of 30 s and optimal parameters, data from both similar and very different tectonic regions are used to calculate coda Q using the same program and the same parameters.

Settlement behaviour of a concrete faced rock-fill dam (CFRD), Kurtun dam, located in the East Black Sea Region, Turkey, is investigated. This is the first instrumented CRDF in the Country. Two dimensional plane strain finite element analyses were carried out to assess the total stresses and displacements in the dam both for construction and reservoir filling stages by using computer program PLAXIS. Predicted stresses and settlements are compared with those observed and overall the results are found to be in good agreement for the construction stage. Due to the relatively steep abutment slopes, cross-valley arching has a significant effect on stresses and displacements in the dam body. For the reservoir filling condition, it is seen that, predicted settlements are larger than the observed values, which indicates that during reservoir filling the rock-fill embankment responds more stiffly than it does during the construction stage. The hardening soil model is used to represent the nonlinear, inelastic and stress dependent behaviour of rock-fill material. The model parameters are selected from the appropriate values in the literature investigating comparable cases.

No abstract

The main purpose of this study is to develop a validated three-dimensional finite element model of sternum closure techniques. For this aim, the finite element method analysis results of three closure methods were compared with experimental test results. Also, three more closure techniques are simulated numerically to study the effect of the number of wires used in the manubrium and xiphoid regions. A three-dimensional model of polyurethane sternum foam was created based on computed tomography images. Six different closure techniques using steel wire, steel bands and ZipFix bands were modeled on the sternum and transferred into a three-dimensional finite element model. The sternum was modeled as an isotropic bilinear-elasto-plastic material, and nonlinear contact conditions were applied. The models were analyzed under lateral distraction loading, and load-displacement curves were obtained from displacements at the incision line. Allowable loads and stiffness values of the methods were evaluated from these curves. The results showed the importance of the including material as well as geometric nonlinearities in the simulations to obtain realistic results from the numerical analyses. Also, the analyses showed that closures that include steel or ZipFix bands are superior to conventional wiring, and addition of a single wire at the manubrium and xiphoid regions significantly improved the efficiency of the closure techniques.